Electronic commerce on the internet is a very interesting subject when you actually come to set up your own. I spent a great deal of time investigating all the options. This was especially so here in Australia because of the banking laws. 

The solutions we are looking at are mainly based in the USA but work globally. For solutions in your area you will have to do some personal research however what we have here will work in most places around the world.

Some companies only deal in digital products. Others only deal in tangible products like CD's books etc. The only advise I can give is that you do your own homework and really search one out that you feel meets your requirements. Ok I know you want some advise so I will tell you what I use.

As this section is about business I noticed as I was doing my research that most successful businesses whether online or off utilized some sort of system. This meant that what ever products were added they simply plugged them into the system. You can either get a full blown merchant facility or use third party ones which I discuss below. These are great if you are just starting and many of the top marketers still use these type of programs over a personal merchant facility.

I link 2checkout,  and Paypal. accounts together with a system called QuickPayPro and this handles all my day to day work sales, products statistics, newsletters, affiliates, contacts and follow ups. Its my virtual secretary. There are also some other great systems and the most used system is one Autopilot Riches.

Just recently I have also started to use DLGuard for some of my products as many of my clients were not alloud to fill in forms so I wanted a solution that took them directly to the payment page.

I use one other processor called Clickbank which is great if you are just starting out selling digital products and lets you also have a built in affiliate program. 

For a complete overview of Clickbank here is a great eBook by my friend Tom Hua.
Open PDf Here.

There is also a free management system available which I discuss below.

The Q & A below should help you determine your requirements. Don't let it scare you to much as we all use the different ecommerce systems. It is just necessary to be aware that you are dealing with other peoples money so you need to be very particular in doing what you are told when you sing up for any account.

Of course once you get going there are more detailed e-commerce systems you may want to use.

What is an Internet merchant account? Do I need one?

A merchant account is a relationship between a retailer and a merchant bank that enables retailers to accept credit card payments from their customers. To qualify for a merchant account, retailers must meet the bank's often-stringent bank requirements. Internet merchant accounts, used to enable web-based credit card payments, have even more stringent requirements. Most small companies find it too expensive and cumbersome to acquire their own merchant accounts, yet credit cards are the most efficient way of doing business on the Internet. 

How long does it take to establish service?

Merchants can begin accepting payment in as little as 24 hours. Some banks may take longer.

What are the risks of fraud online?

Consumers who fall victim to online fraud suffer inconveniences that range from a simple call to the credit card bank to more serious hassles such as straightening out credit reports. In the case of fraud, consumers are typically not responsible for the fraudulent charges. Merchants suffer financial losses including the cost of goods sold, as well as charge back fees from their merchant bank.

What is the right service for my business?

The important thing to consider is what you want to achieve and how much your willing to pay for that service. Services range from about 7% to a whopping 15%. Do your homework and work out your costings very carefully because once you commit you need to hang in there.

How can I control the costs of charge backs?

Charge backs primarily occur when the customer calls the credit bank's customer service and contests a given charge.

Valid customers are dissatisfied with their purchases.

Cardholder's discover their credit cards have been used fraudulently.  When the charge back amount exceeds a given percentage (often two percent) of the merchant's total billing's, merchants must pay steep fees or handling charges to the bank.

There are a number of banks and third party companies that can handle your online billing and it is really up to you to investigate and associate yourself with the one your happy with.

The one suggestion I would like to make is ask lots of questions. If they don't get back to you in a reasonable amount of time while there is no pressure the probability is when you really need them you will find they are not there for you either.

More on Free E-commerce Solution

No Internet business will work very well if you cannot collect and process credit cards. I have been amazed at how many people have joined our businesses over the years and will not use their credit card. Security is not in the processing but what happens to the card at the other end and this is why we use 2Checkout, Clickbank or Paypal for your security and ours.

If you have your own merchant account or just want a free cart using one of the many 3rd party merchant facilities then you can use Mals free e-commerce service. It is an excellent service used by literally thousands of people around the world.

For a basic introduction to credit cards and the internet and also to get a free shopping cart go here.